New Writing North

A new podcast about an ancient dale from journalist and broadcaster Caroline Beck. Somewhere high up in the North Pennines, between everywhere and nowhere at all, is Weardale, a remote northern dale. It’s a place of old lead mines, deep worked out limestone quarries, and hill farming; the home of day-dreamers, explorers, incomers, artists, philosophers, sky-watchers, story tellers and travellers. Over a series of ten exclusive interviews with writers and poets Caroline goes in search of what it means to live in England’s last wilderness. In this ninth episode, Caroline considers grouse-shooting, one of the major uses for land in the area - and one which polarises the local community. She meets Dr Mark Avery, an outspoken environmental campaigner, the former director of conservation at Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and the author of hard-hitting book about grouse-shooting, Inglorious: Conflict in the Uplands. Local resident Colin Organ, from Rookhope, involved in game sports since childhood, offers an opposing perspective rooted in preserving a rural way of life, while Roisin Beck-Taylor, Caroline’s daughter, who worked on a hill farm for nine years and now works in conservation, discusses the complicated relationship between economy and conservation. Narrated and recorded by Caroline Beck Produced by Jay Sykes Ten Words for a Northern Landscape is commissioned Northern Heartlands and produced as part of Durham Book Festival, a Durham County Council event. The recording was made possible by funding and support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England. Look out for Ten Words for a Northern Landscape on the New Writing North podcast and Durham Book Festival website. #10wordspodcast

Gillian Allnutt has authored nine major collections and was awarded the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry in 2016. She was born in London but spent half of her childhood in Newcastle upon Tyne. Kayo Chingonyi is a poet and critic whose collection Kumukanda won the 2017 Dylan Thomas Prize. Like Gillian he spent some of his childhood in Newcastle, and in this episode the two poets discuss how their shared experience of leaving and then returning to the North East has shaped their work.

Participants on our collaborative course with the African Writers' Trust reflect on what they have learnt and read some poetry. Including highlights of wisdom from lead tutor Nick Makoha, and guest writers Phoebe Power and Susan Nalugwa Kiguli.

Writer W. H. Auden described the North Pennines as his ‘great good place’. He formed a lifelong fascination with its underground spaces and the post-industrial landscape of lead mining following a childhood visit to the hills around the North Pennine village of Rookhope, County Durham. Follow in W. H. Auden’s footsteps on a downloadable self-guided circular walk starting and finishing in Rookhope and listen to broadcaster Jeremy Vine give an overview of Auden, his work and affinity with the North Pennines. Co-created by Jeremy Vine and North East England Blue Badge Tourist Guide Ruth Robson. If you are already a fan of W. H. Auden we hope there is something new for you. If you aren’t already familiar with the work of W. H. Auden, we hope this is the beginning of an exciting journey of discovery.

Writer W. H. Auden described the North Pennines as his ‘great good place’. He formed a lifelong fascination with its underground spaces and the post-industrial landscape of lead mining following a childhood visit to the hills around the North Pennine village of Rookhope, County Durham. Follow in W. H. Auden’s footsteps on a downloadable self-guided circular walk starting and finishing in Rookhope and listen to broadcaster Jeremy Vine give an overview of Auden, his work and affinity with the North Pennines. Co-created by Jeremy Vine and North East England Blue Badge Tourist Guide Ruth Robson. If you are already a fan of W. H. Auden we hope there is something new for you. If you aren’t already familiar with the work of W. H. Auden, we hope this is the beginning of an exciting journey of discovery.